Many college students like to wait
until the last possible minute to start an assignment, write a paper or study
for a big test. They justify this decision by repeatedly telling themselves
that they “work best under pressure.” This statement is actually true for most
students and for most people. When someone feels pressured to do something or
feels like a matter is urgent they are much more likely to devote their full
attention to it than if it is perceived as unimportant. The funny thing about
working well under pressure is that it has absolutely nothing to do with
waiting until the last minute! Students wait until the last minute not because
they work well under pressure but because they simply don’t want to do the
assignment! It is important to understand that LAST MINUTE WORK IS NEVER YOUR
BEST WORK!!The key is to adjust your perception of pressure. Generally speaking
one full week is enough time to adequately study for most tests and complete
most assignments. So if I was assigned a paper on Monday (April 1st) to be
turned in next Friday(April 12th) then I would usually start writing the paper
that Thursday (April 4th). The first day I would write an outline and an
introduction to the paper. The 2nd and 3rd day I would
work on my 1st draft. After that I would edit my first draft on the
4th day. Then I would have a professor or english major edit my
paper on the 5th day. That same day I would revise my paper. On the
6th day I would review the rubric and make sure that I followed all
of the rules and turn my paper in early on the 7th day. As you can
see, it would be impossible to do all of this the night before the paper is
due. Once you understand that creating your best work takes time, you’ll start
to feel the “pressure” much earlier than the night before. Pressuring yourself
to start your work early is a surefire way help you be successful in college.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
How To Be Successful In College Tip #5: Use Fun As A Reward
When I was in college there was a
crazy party every weekend. One weekend there would be a big outdoor foam party,
the next weekend an upscale party at a fancy hotel and the weekend after that a
reggae party at a local club. Partying is definitely a big part of the college experience
and if approached the right way, can actually help you achieve higher grades.
The key is to use your desire to have fun as a reward for completing work. For
example, if I knew there was a big party on Saturday night then I would tell
myself that I could not go unless I completed a certain amount of school work.
I’d then get up at about 8am on Saturday, eat breakfast, go to the library and
begin my work. I would stay in the library until about 5pm or whenever my work
was done. Every time I felt like quitting and heading back to my dorm to play
PS3 I reminded myself that I had to complete this work if I wanted to go to
that party. This would give me the motivation to push through tough
assignments.
In order for this to work, however,
you MUST stick to the goal that you set for yourself. You won’t get ahead in
your school work or in life if you try to take shortcuts. There were several
times when I told myself that I would not got to the party unless I did both my
physics and my English assignments. After completing my physics assignment I’d think
“well I think I did enough today. I mean that physics was so tough that I really
deserve to go to that party now and I can always do my English assignment
later.” This type thinking is counterproductive. No matter how accomplished you
feel you have not done enough until you’ve met your original goals. If you
adapt this attitude then this method will help you improve your grades!
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